Pinkishe Foundation
8/11/2026
In many Indian homes, a girl's first period is not hidden. It is celebrated. Grandmothers, aunts and the whole family gather to bless her as she grows up.
The names change from region to region. The love behind them is the same.
In many Telugu families, a girl wears her first langa voni, a long skirt with a half saree draped over it, at a function held in her honour. Many families call it the half saree function or the voni function. Often her maternal uncle brings the clothes. Relatives come to bless her, and there is food, music and photographs.
In many Tamil families, the ceremony is called Manjal Neerattu Vizha, the turmeric bath ceremony. The girl is bathed with turmeric water, dressed in a pavadai davani, and blessed by the women of the family. For many families it is one of the most joyful days of her growing up.
Some families keep the day quiet, within the home. Others invite the whole village, print invitations and put up posters.
Some families use the Sanskrit name Ritu Kala Samskara, the ceremony of the season of womanhood. Other regions have their own names and customs.
Not every family holds a ceremony, and some girls would rather keep this time private. Both are fine. What matters is that she feels proud, not ashamed.
Not every girl in India has a family function, or even a pad. Many get their first period with no one to explain it.
Some families now add one more blessing to the day: a donation in their daughter's name, so that another girl gets what she needs. ₹1,100 covers one girl's menstrual protection, education and support for a year. The support is our menstrual helpline, free and confidential, which answers at any hour on 85888 70999.
Ideas for the day:
Our donation window has no box for a dedication. So, after you donate, forward your donation receipt email to info@pinkishe.org, with your daughter's name and the occasion. If guests donate too, each of them can do the same. We add up the donations you tell us about and send you the total. We keep these names only for this, and we never publish them.
Pinkishe Foundation is a non-profit working on menstrual health since 2017. We work in schools and communities across India, so every girl and woman can manage her period with dignity. We are rated five stars on Google by over 2,400 people.
Choosing where to give? Read our guide, How to choose an NGO to donate to in India.
A simple printable sheet that marks your period days, your fertile window and your ovulation day. We will email it to you now.
We will send the tracker and a few gentle menstrual health emails from Khyati at Pinkishe. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Prefer to work out your dates now? Open the free ovulation calculatorIn many Telugu families, it is a function where a girl wears her first langa voni, a long skirt with a half saree, as she comes of age. Relatives gather to bless her.
It is the Tamil coming-of-age ceremony, often called the turmeric bath ceremony. The girl is bathed with turmeric water, dressed in a pavadai davani and blessed by her family.
Yes. Donate on our India page, or our international page if you hold a foreign passport or an OCI card. Then forward the receipt to info@pinkishe.org with her name and the occasion. We add up the donations you tell us about and send you the total.
₹1,100 gives one girl a year. Donations are eligible for deduction under Section 80G.
